scholarly journals Isolation and Characterization of Skin-type, Type I Antifreeze Polypeptides from the Longhorn Sculpin,Myoxocephalus octodecemspinosus

2001 ◽  
Vol 276 (15) ◽  
pp. 11582-11589 ◽  
Author(s):  
Woon-Kai Low ◽  
Qingsong Lin ◽  
Costas Stathakis ◽  
Ming Miao ◽  
Garth L. Fletcher ◽  
...  

The antifreeze polypeptides (AFPs) are found in several marine fish and have been grouped into four distinct biochemical classes (type I-IV). Recently, the new subclass of skin-type, type I AFPs that are produced intracellularly as mature polypeptides have been identified in the winter flounder (Pleuronectes americanus) and the shorthorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus scorpius). This study demonstrates the presence of skin-type AFPs in the longhorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus octodecemspinosus), which produces type IV serum AFPs. Using polymerase chain reaction-based methods, a clone that encoded for a type I AFP was identified. The clone lacked a signal sequence, indicating that the mature polypeptide is produced in the cytosol. A recombinant protein was produced inEscherichia coliand antifreeze activity was characterized. Four individual Ala-rich polypeptides with antifreeze activity were isolated from the skin tissue. One polypeptide was completely sequenced by tandem MS. This study provides the first evidence of a fish species that produces two different biochemical classes of antifreeze proteins (type I and type IV), and enforces the notion that skin-type AFPs are a widespread biological phenomenon in fish.

Author(s):  
Woon-Kai Low ◽  
Qingsong Lin ◽  
K Vanya Ewart ◽  
Garth L Fletcher ◽  
Choy L Hew

1980 ◽  
Vol 58 (5) ◽  
pp. 377-383 ◽  
Author(s):  
Choy L. Hew ◽  
Garth L. Fletcher ◽  
V. S. Ananthanarayanan

The antifreeze proteins (AFP) of the shorthorn sculpin, Myoxocephalus scorpius, were isolated and compared with the AFP of the winter flounder. The shorthorn sculpin was found to contain one major and one minor antifreeze protein with an approximate molecular weight of 10 000 – 11 000 in the winter. The major AFP was isolated and characterized. It had many characteristics in common with the flounder AFP studied in our laboratories. These characteristics included its seasonal appearance, size, amino acid composition, the abundance of alanine in the composition, the extent of antifreeze activity, and the nature of the secondary structure. It is suggested that both the sculpin and flounder AFP are structurally homologous and belong to the same type of polypeptide antifreeze.


Author(s):  
G. D. Gagne ◽  
M. F. Miller ◽  
D. A. Peterson

Experimental infection of chimpanzees with non-A, non-B hepatitis (NANB) or with delta agent hepatitis results in the appearance of characteristic cytoplasmic alterations in the hepatocytes. These alterations include spongelike inclusions (Type I), attached convoluted membranes (Type II), tubular structures (Type III), and microtubular aggregates (Type IV) (Fig. 1). Type I, II and III structures are, by association, believed to be derived from endoplasmic reticulum and may be morphogenetically related. Type IV structures are generally observed free in the cytoplasm but sometimes in the vicinity of type III structures. It is not known whether these structures are somehow involved in the replication and/or assembly of the putative NANB virus or whether they are simply nonspecific responses to cellular injury. When treated with uranyl acetate, type I, II and III structures stain intensely as if they might contain nucleic acids. If these structures do correspond to intermediates in the replication of a virus, one might expect them to contain DNA or RNA and the present study was undertaken to explore this possibility.


Toxins ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 14
Author(s):  
Thamiris Santana Machado ◽  
Felipe Ramos Pinheiro ◽  
Lialyz Soares Pereira Andre ◽  
Renata Freire Alves Pereira ◽  
Reginaldo Fernandes Correa ◽  
...  

Hospitalizations related to Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are frequent, increasing mortality and health costs. In this way, this study aimed to compare the genotypic and phenotypic characteristics of MRSA isolates that colonize and infect patients seen at two hospitals in the city of Niterói—Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A total of 147 samples collected between March 2013 and December 2015 were phenotyped and genotyped to identify the protein A (SPA) gene, the mec staphylococcal chromosomal cassette (SCCmec), mecA, Panton-Valentine Leucocidin (PVL), icaC, icaR, ACME, and hla virulence genes. The strength of biofilm formation has also been exploited. The prevalence of SCCmec type IV (77.1%) was observed in the colonization group; however, in the invasive infection group, SCCmec type II was prevalent (62.9%). The Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST), ST5/ST30, and ST5/ST239 analyses were the most frequent clones in colonization, and invasive infection isolates, respectively. Among the isolates selected to assess the ability to form a biofilm, 51.06% were classified as strong biofilm builders. Surprisingly, we observed that isolates other than the Brazilian Epidemic Clone (BEC) have appeared in Brazilian hospitals. The virulence profile has changed among these isolates since the ACME type I and II genes were also identified in this collection.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Deepshikha Bhowmik ◽  
Shiela Chetri ◽  
Bhaskar Jyoti Das ◽  
Debadatta Dhar Chanda ◽  
Amitabha Bhattacharjee

Abstract Objective This study was designed to discover the dissemination of virulence genes in Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from clinical, community and environmental settings. Results This study includes 1165 isolates collected from hospital, community and environmental settings. Among them sixty three were confirmed as MRSA with varied SCCmec types viz; type I, type II, type III, type IV, type V, type VI, type VII, type VIII and type XII. The virulence gene such as sea (n = 54), seb (n = 21), eta (n = 27), etb (n = 2), cna (n = 24), ica (n = 2) and tst (n = 30) was also revealed from this study. The study underscores coexistence of resistance cassette and virulence genes among clinical and environment isolates which is first of its kind from this part of the world.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Zhiwei Yuan ◽  
Wen Guo ◽  
Dan Lyu ◽  
Yuanlin Sun

Abstract The filter-feeding organ of some extinct brachiopods is supported by a skeletal apparatus called the brachidium. Although relatively well studied in Atrypida and Athyridida, the brachidial morphology is usually neglected in Spiriferida. To investigate the variations of brachidial morphology in Spiriferida, 65 species belonging to eight superfamilies were analyzed. Based on the presence/absence of the jugal processes and normal/modified primary lamellae of the spiralia, four types of brachidium are recognized. Type-I (with jugal processes) and Type-II (without jugal processes), both having normal primary lamellae, could give rise to each other by losing/re-evolving the jugal processes. Type-III, without jugal processes, originated from Type-II through evolution of the modified lateral-convex primary lamellae, and it subsequently gave rise to Type-IV by evolving the modified medial-convex primary lamellae. The evolution of brachidia within individual evolutionary lineages must be clarified because two or more types can be present within a single family. Type-III and Type-IV are closely associated with the prolongation of the crura, representing innovative modifications of the feeding apparatus in response to possible shift in the position of the mouth towards the anterior, allowing for more efficient feeding on particles entering the mantle cavity from the anterior gape. Meanwhile, the modified primary lamellae adjusted/regulated the feeding currents. The absence of spires in some taxa with Type-IV brachidium might suggest that they developed a similar lophophore to that in some extant brachiopods, which can extend out of the shell.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 249
Author(s):  
Ruediger Goess ◽  
Ayse Ceren Mutgan ◽  
Umut Çalışan ◽  
Yusuf Ceyhun Erdoğan ◽  
Lei Ren ◽  
...  

Background: Pancreatic cancer‐associated diabetes mellitus (PC‐DM) is present in most patients with pancreatic cancer, but its pathogenesis remains poorly understood. Therefore, we aimed to characterize tumor infiltration in Langerhans islets in pancreatic cancer and determine its clinical relevance. Methods: Langerhans islet invasion was systematically analyzed in 68 patientswith pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) using histopathological examination and 3D in vitro migration assays were performed to assess chemoattraction of pancreatic cancer cells to isletcells. Results: Langerhans islet invasion was present in all patients. We found four different patterns of islet invasion: (Type I) peri‐insular invasion with tumor cells directly touching the boundary, but not penetrating the islet; (Type II) endo‐insular invasion with tumor cells inside the round islet; (Type III) distorted islet structure with complete loss of the round islet morphology; and (Type IV)adjacent cancer and islet cells with solitary islet cells encountered adjacent to cancer cells. Pancreatic cancer cells did not exhibit any chemoattraction to islet cells in 3D assays in vitro. Further, there was no clinical correlation of islet invasion using the novel Islet Invasion Severity Score (IISS), which includes all invasion patterns with the occurrence of diabetes mellitus. However, Type IV islet invasion was related to worsened overall survival in our cohort. Conclusions: We systematically analyzed, for the first time, islet invasion in human pancreatic cancer. Four different main patterns of islet invasion were identified. Diabetes mellitus was not related to islet invasion. However, moreresearch on this prevailing feature of pancreatic cancer is needed to better understand underlying principles.


Biochemistry ◽  
1983 ◽  
Vol 22 (21) ◽  
pp. 4940-4948 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert S. MacWright ◽  
Virginia A. Benson ◽  
Katherine T. Lovello ◽  
Michel Van der Rest ◽  
Peter P. Fietzek

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document